Disabled people who will get OAS won’t get SAID funds
Individuals who begin Old Age Security after Sept. 1 cut off from SAID program
The Ministry of Social Services has made amendments to the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability regulations which will see disabled individuals who begin to receive Old Age Security Act payments on or after Sept. 1 cut off from the SAID program.
Individuals now receiving money from both SAID and Old Age Security will be grandfathered in, Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor said.
The amendments were made in an order-in-council dated July 27, but according to NDP leader Nicole Sarauer, the minister did not include it in her announcement earlier this week in which she spoke about changes the government was making to income assistance.
“The Sask. Party seem to have buried this cut,” Sarauer said. “We luckily found it and we’re bringing it to light now to make sure that folks know about it.”
But Beaudry-Mellor said it is a policy change, not a program cut, and that the changes will only affect about 10 people per year — minimal, she said, compared to the 15,000 people in the SAID program.
She said the reason for the change is due to the difference between supports available to seniors versus individuals with disabilities.
“When you turn 65 and you are eligible for an OAS benefit, there are a range of programs and services available for seniors out there. There are not for individuals with disability, and so it’s important for us to maintain the integrity of that program,” Beaudry-Mellor said.
She said the range of federal and provincial programs available to seniors once they turn 65 — including
the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Seniors Income Plan and the Saskatchewan Assistance Plan — will offset the loss of SAID.
Changes to the regulations put Saskatchewan in alignment with similar programs in Alberta and at the federal level, Beaudry-Mellor said. She said the government has an obligation to be “mindful about the use of public dollars and resources” and the change will make sure the program has integrity and sustainability by prioritizing funds for those “who are in the greatest need.”
But Sarauer isn’t convinced the change is in the best interest of the people. She said the very existence of the program and the fact that those receiving both SAID and OAS money have been grandfathered in shows the Saskatchewan Party has considered the impact taking away SAID would have.
She said the number of people using SAID is growing and she doubts effects of the change will be limited to a few individuals.
“We’re worried about the very real impact it’s going to have on anybody that is close to hitting that 65-year age mark,” Sarauer said. “The impact on this will grow as the years progress.”
There are 300 individuals now receiving SAID and OAS money, and none of them will be affected by the change. Only individuals who turn 65 on or after Sept. 1 will be ineligible for SAID.